"Alternative drugs" is a term referred to the group of health care systems including various products and practices which are not regarded conventional presently.
It is commonly well known that all the alternative drugs are generally safe but are not totally risk free.
You should use your own best judgment before using these.
The efficiency of these drugs and there effectiveness is no where mentioned.
These unrecognized drugs may have various adverse affects and toxicities too.
It is always better to consult your physician before consuming any of these.
Although the usage of such complementary and alternative medicines have been increased with time yet the physicians and nurses are still unaware or have inadequate knowledge related to these, their side effects and interactions of various alternatives when consumed together.
A few studies have even catered to their usage but are still with various unanswered queries which need to be answered to make these drugs ethical and conventional.
The studies show that many of the people today have started consuming various alternative drugs which are mostly herbal based.
It has become very important to grow the knowledge in this area for having the benefits.
These have been useful from depression to dementia and are increasingly being popular for curing a wide array of health related problems, mostly psychiatric in nature.
These also include various oriented therapies used for healing therapies taken alone or in complement to prescriptions.
The commonly used alternative drugs are prepared from herbs referred to as "botanicals".
Two alternative drugs helping the patients with high blood pressure are widely used.
Although consuming the standard blood pressure medications the problem may not be cured as studied by scientists.
Secondly, the rheumatic fever cured by penicillin can also be cured well by an alternative drug cefadroxil being available all the times and less painful too.
The researches say that the side effects were much lesser in the case of alternative drugs here as compared to injection penicillin.
But it is always good to seek advice of the doctor before taking any of these.
Only he can advice you what is best for you.
So never disregard professional advice in such cases.
It is due to little acceptance by the doctors and masses that the research and study in area has remained incomplete.
Yet patients rely on these hugely as they feel safe using the drugs made of natural products.
Still various side effects caused by consuming alternative drugs should not be ignored.
And the problem becomes all the more acute when patients tend to hide such intakes from their doctors.
It has been studied that more than 80% of people use alternative drugs globally despite of well known harmful effects these can cause.
The agents selling these products are the only reliable sources on which people believe when they recommend their usage.
  So, before going for any of the alternative drugs do consult your physician.
Take into account how serious your health problem is and if your body can manage side effects.
Do not ignore the risk factor in consuming these and give your health the priority than any other issue.